Geni, the caterpillar is a luna moth cat.
I can't help you with IDing your cats, but the ones on asclepias linaria look a lot like scarlet-bodied wasp moths and polka dot wasp moths, which use host plants similar to milkweed, so I imagine they're one of the brightly colored, day flying wasp moths.
The last one looks like a salt marsh moth cat, so, if that's not what is is, it's probably something close, like a woolly bear.
Beautiful pictures!
Sherry

Geni,

I love the Polka Dot cats. They remind me of this little BF I saw in Laos. I was never able to find an ID for it.

{{gwi:447813}}

Keep posting your finds!

Sandy

Sherry, thanks for the suggestions. I tried rearing some of the yellow milkweed cats this year, but I gave up when they wouldn't eat. I didn't have a good habitat for them, but next trip I'll bring an enclosure.

Experience has told me that BST cats are like Lay's potato chips -- never just one. I'm up to five now, and they are happily eating dill and fennel. The four little ones are in a plastic box that alfafa sprouts came in, and the big one is in a makeshift enclosure, the top of a five-liter water bottle over a plastic container of water with fennel stuck through a hole in the lid, all sitting on a paper plate.

I continue to find the spiny ones on rose leaves, and I've found two so far on the doormat. They're coming after me where I live. Fortunately, I've had no lingering effects from the stings.

Sandy, what a beautiful little butterfly. I hope you'll post more of your Laos photos -- or have I overlooked them?

Here's a pic of the BST habitat.
{{gwi:447815}}From Butterflies and Moths of Michoacán

And here's another unusual cat I saw on a walk recently.
{{gwi:447817}}From Butterflies and Moths of Michoacán

geni

No, Genie, you haven't overlooked them. I need to get a blog set up as I have so many photos. I'll try to post a few of my favs. I have sure enjoyed your photos. I think a trip to Mexico is in my future!

Sandy

I am incorrigible. With two days left here before I return to Alabama, I discovered two more little BST cats on the fennel. What did I do -- brought them inside, of course. And today I found another one on parsley. I brought it in, too. I now have seven little ones happily eating fennel, dill and parsley. The largest one pupated a couple of days ago. I know I'll have to put them back outside tomorrow, but it's been fun having them inside for a few days.
{{gwi:447819}}From Butterflies and Moths of Michoacán
This is the first one I found and it is now the biggest of the remaining cats.
{{gwi:447821}}From Butterflies and Moths of Michoacán
These are the first four little cats, before I added three more to the enclosure. The chrysalis is on the side of the water container.

My last official act of 2008 in my Mexican butterfly garden was to return my BST cats to the wild. I moved the water container to the herb garden and let some of the cats migrate to the fennel. Then I moved the container next to the dill and let the rest of the cats go to their preferred host. Finally, when all the cats had made the transfer, I dumped out the water and put the container on top of the upturned birdbath next to a tall cosmos stalk so that when the butterfly ecloses it can climb the cosmos to dry its wings. I put a rock inside the plastic cup so the wind won't blow it off, and I just crossed my fingers and hoped that the cosmos leaves would provide cover from curious birds. That's all I could think to do for them; now it's up to nature to decide whether they make it.

So, when I got back to Alabama, what did I find on my parsley? Two gigantic BST cats, which are now happily munching away on parsley inside a mesh container next to my computer.
geni